High frequency coaxial coupling



July 17, 1962 G. SHAPIRO HIGH FREQUENCY COAXIAL COUPLING 2 Sheets-Sheet1 Original Filed Aug. 12, 1954 INVENTOR 61/5 T4 VE SWAP/R0 July 17, 1962G. SHA-PIRO 3,045,202

HIGH FREQUENCY COAXIAL COUPLING Original Filed Aug. 12, 1954 2Sheets--Sheet 2 INVENTOR GUS TA l/E SHAP/RO 3,045,202 Patented July 17,1962 The invention described herein may :be manufactured and used by orfor the Government of the United States of America for governmentalpurposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

This application is a division of application Serial No. 449,534, filedAugust 12, 1954, now Patent No. 2,879,491, patented March 24, 1959, forUniversal Plug System.

This invention relates to high frequency coupling devices whichfacilitate the joining of an electronic subassembly with the remainderof an electronic device.

In present day practice it is common to detachably mount a plurality ofcomplete electronic sub-assemblies on an electronic device. However,each sub-assembly often requires a combination of low frequencyconnections, high frequency connections, and mechanical couplings fortransmitting mechanical motion to components within the sub-assembly. Inaddition, in many applications it is necessary to provide cooling forthe entire electronic unit and sub-assemblies to prevent overheating.Furthermore, some technical procedures require that a sub-assernblywhich is to be mounted on an electronic device he hermetically sealed.

The present invention discloses a plug system which facilitates theassembling and disassembling of an electronic sub-assembly with theremainder of an electronic device where the sub-assembly requires highfrequency connections. 7

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a high frequencycoupling device which is self-aligning and which can be used wherehermetic scaling is required.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this inventionwill be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood byreference to the following detailed description when considered inconnection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of an embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a perspective View showing the details of the female portionof the invention coupled to a printed circuit.

The male assembly '14 consists of a coaxial plug shell the flared end ofplug shell 111 and retaining ring 56 t0 insure good electrical contactbetween elements 111 and 22. The retaining ring 56 is pressed into baseplate 22 to cause the spring washer 555 to hold flared rim 53 in contactwith base plate 22. The base plate 22 may then have the portions thereofproximate to retaining ring 56 and stepped to securely hold retainingring 56 on base plate 22. There is a clearance space between the innerperipheries of retaining ring 56 and washer 55. There is also aclearance space between the outer periphery of coaxial plug shell 111and washer 55. Oversized bore 54 allows a clearance space between theperiphery of bore 54 and the outer periphery of rim 53. Thisconstruction permits coaxial plug shell 111 to float in a directionparallel to the plane of base plate 22 which in turn permits plug shell111 to mate with the body portion 58- and dia electric tube 68 ofcoaxial connector block 49 even though there might be some originalslight misalignment between the two.

Coaxial female connector block 49 consists of the following parts: Abody portion 58 which is adapted to be joined to the upper and lowerbase portions 59 and 60, respectively, by means of bolts 61 which inturn fit through holes in members 59 and 60 and thread into tapped holes62 in body portion 58. Tapped holes 114 in body portion 58 are adaptedto receive screws 113 for holding the female portion 49 in assembledrelationship. Body portion 58 has a portion of reduced section 63 whichfits through a mating cut out section (not numbered) in printed circuitplate 19. It can be seen that when parts 58, 59 and 66 are in theirassembled position the base portion 59 and body portion 58 straddleprinted circuit plate (FIG. 2) 19 to rigidly aflix said coaxialconnector block 49 to said printed circuit plate 19. An insulator disc64 having slot 65 therein is adapted to seat in bore 66 of lower baseportion 60 with said slot 65 aligned'with opening 67 formed by baseportions 59 and 60. A dielectric tube 68 having a bore 69 therein and aflaredrirn 70 seats on top of insulator disc 64. The flared rim 70 is ofgreater diameter than hole .105 in body portion 58 and serves thefunction of holding dielectric tube 68 within the assembled coaxialconnector block 49. The female contact 72 which coacts with center pin52 is a piece of spring metal tubing having slots 73 formed therein atone end which receives center pin 52. The end of female contact 72 isinternally beveled at 106 to facilitate the entry of the end 76 ofcenter pin 52. A diametral hole 74 is formed at the other end of femalecontact 72. i In assembled condition of coaxial connector block 49, theend of the female contact 72 having hole 74 therein seats in slot 65 ofinsulator disc 64. The center lead 75, FIG. 2, of shielded cable 51 issoldered into hole 74. The outer shielding (not numbered) of shieldedcable 51 is inserted into the opening 67 formed between base portions 59and 60. When the screws 61 are tightened, the peripheral portions ofopening 67 firmly clamp the shielded portions of cable 51. It is to benoted at this point that :bore' 69 in dielectric tube 68 is oversizewith respect to female contact 72. It will be further noted that centerpin 52 has its end 76 pointed. The pointed end construction of centerpin 52 allows center pin 52 to enter female contact 72 in spite of anyslight misalignment therebetween. The fact that bore 69 is oversizedwith respect to female contact 72 allows said female cont-act to moveslightly within bore 69 to permit proper alignment of center pin 52 andsaid female'contact 72 in spite of any slight original misalignmenttherebetween prior to the plug-in operation. i

It will be noted that the above described male and female high frequencyplug elements, when'plugged to, gether electrically couple the outershielded portion of cable 51 to ground (base plate 22) via base portions59 and 60, body portion 58, and coaxial plug shell 111. The center leadof the shielded cable 51 is inserted into hole 74 of female contact 72and soldered thereto, as mentioned above. When the plug system is'plugged in, female contact 72 transmits high frequency electricity viacenter pin 52 to the required portions of a sub assemibly mounted onbase plate 22.

It will be further noted that in the male portion of the high frequencyplug the coaxial plug shell 111 has latitude of movement, as describedabove, whereas center pin 52 thereof is rigid. On the other hand, incoaxial connector block 49 the female contact 72 has latitude ofmovement, in the manner described above, Whereas the body portion 58 ofthe coaxial connector block 49 is rigid. When these constructions areviewed in combination, it

can be seen that in spite of any slight misalignment prior to theplugging in of the male and female members that both the center leadconnections and the shield connections will tend to align themselves asrequired. Each of the aforementioned alignments is obtainedindependently of each other. In addition, it will be noted that whilecenter pin 52 is rigidly aflixed to base plate 22 by a glass to metalseal 24, the above described latitude of movement of female member 72allows easy plugging together of the male and female portions of thehigh frequency connectors while preserving the feature of allowing asub-assembly (not shown) mounted on base plate 22 to be hermeticallysealed.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention arepossible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to beunderstood that within the scope of the appended claims the inventionmay be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. A coaxial coupling assembly for coupling an electronic device, saidcoaxial coupling comprising a plate, a center contact pin rigidlymounted on said plate and insulated therefrom, a coaxial plug shellmovably mounted in said plate in substantially concentric relationshipwith said center pin; said plug shell being capable of horizontalmovement within said plate mounting a socket assembly including a bodyportion, said body portion being adapted to make electrical contact withsaid plug shell, a female contact movably mounted within said bodyportion and being insulated therefrom and adapted to make electricalcontact with said center pin whereby any misalignment of said plug shelland said pin with said body portion and said female contact,respectively, can be compensated for by said movable elements and theelectrical grounding connection between said body portion and said plateis completed as is the connection of said contact pin with said femalecontact.

2. A coaxial coupling assembly for coupling an electronic devicecomprising a male assembly and a socket assembly, a plate for supportingsaid male assembly, a bore in said plate, said male assembly including acenter contact pin rigidly secured in said bore, a first annular recessin said plate, said recess being of larger diameter than and concentricwith said center pin, a coaxial plug shell having a flared rim which isof smaller diameter than said recess and concentrically surrounds saidcenter pin, a second annular recess of larger diameter than andconcentric with said first annular recess, retaining means located insaid second annular recess and in contact with said rim for holding theflared rim of said coaxial plug shell in contact with the upper wall ofsaid first annular recess whereby said plug shell is capable to radialmovement but restrained from any vertical movement with respect to saidcenter contact pin, said socket assembly including a body portionrigidly aflixed to a base portion, a bore in said body portion, adielectric tube held within said last mentioned bore, an annular gapbetween said body portion and said dielectric tube, a female contactloosely held within said dielectric tube, said female contact therebybeing capable of radial movement but restrained from vertical movementwhereby any misalignment of said plug shell and said center contact pinwith said body portion and said female contact, respectively, can becompensated for by said movable elements when said male assembly andsaid socket assembly are brought into mating relationship and saidcontact pin is received by said dielectric tube and said plug shell isreceived in said annular gap thereby completing an electrical andgrounding circuit, respectively.

3. A coaxial coupling assembly for coupling an electronic devicecomprising a male assembly and a female socket assembly, a plate forsupporting said male assembly, a bore in said plate, said plate having afirst stepped recess of larger diameter than and concentric with saidbore and a second stepped recess of larger diameter than and concentricwith said first stepped recess, said male assembly including a centercontact pin rigidly secured in said bore and insulated therefrom, acoaxial plug shell having a flared rim which is of smaller diameter thansaid first stepped recess, biasing means in said first stepped recessurging said flared rim of said coaxial plug shell into close contactwith the uppermost wall of said first stepped recess, retaining means incontact with said biasing means for holding said biasing means and saidflared rim in contact with said plate whereby said plug shell is capableof radial movement within said first stepped recess but restrained fromany vertical movement with respect to said plate, said female socketassembly including a body portion rigidly affixed to a base portion, abore in said body portion extending substantially the full length ofsaid body with a stepped portion of lesser diameter at the lower endthereof, a dielectric tube having a flared rim of slightly less diameterthan said bore in said body, the vertical outer wall of said dielectrictube being of lesser diameter than said flared rim leaving an annulargap between said tube and said bore in said body portion, a femalecontact loosely held within a bore in said dielectric tube, said femalecontact having a diametral hole in its lowermost end for receiving alead wire, said female contact thereby being capable of radial movementWithin said bore in said body portion but restrained from verticalmovement, a base portion for receiving said body portion, an insulatordisk mounted in said base portion, a slot in the upper face of saiddisk, said slot being of sufiicient width to receive the lowermost endof said female contact whereby said lead wire may pass therethrough tobe connected to an outside source and any misalignment of said plugshell and said contact pin with said body portion and said femalecontact, respectively, can be compensated for by said movable elementsand the electrical connection of said body portion with said plate andsaid contact pin with said female contact is completed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,101,939 Knaufl June 30, 1914 2,615,949 Hecking Oct. 28, 1952 2,658,183Klostermaun et a1. Nov. 3, 1953 2,702,376 Brush Feb. 15, 1955 2,879,491Shapiro Mar. 24, 1959 2,882,510 Colvin Apr. 14, 1959

